5 No No Foods

I know we were all taught to never say never, but when it comes to some popular food products we should learn to never put them in our mouths. That might sound a little harsh, but some calorie packed goodies are just not worth your time no matter what your personal weight goals or diet.

So what makes the list?

Specialty coffee drinks

No shocker here, these delicious morning pick-me ups just aren’t worth the calorie intake. For example, one White Chocolate Mocha packs 400 calories into a medium cup, and 510 into a large. That takes up almost 20% of your daily intake and it’s not even a food group or something that fills you up. It’s time to just skip the drink completely or move toward a different café option. A large cup of coffee with no add-ins comes out to a mere 5 calories and still packs the caffeine punch.

Canned Soup

Less obvious than our pick above, canned soups are loaded with sodium. One can of soup can cover 37% of your bodies suggested daily sodium intake. When your sodium intake is too high it can boost blood pressure. High blood pressure can eventually become life threatening along with causing hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Soup isn’t alone, most processed foods are high in sodium. Think of anything that isn’t in its “natural state” i.e. walking on the ground, growing from it, or hanging from a tree. All fast food would fall into this category, as well as, chips, canned veggies, processed cheese (American cheese for example) and deli meats.

Soda

Somewhat of a no brainer, soda is filled with nothing but sugar! High sugar levels can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and weight gain. Soda is also extremely hard on tooth enamel. The sugar and acid found in most sodas in the form of phosphoric and citric acid, both used to preserve carbonation.

Certain Milks

It is important you know what kind of milk you are putting on your cereal or oatmeal, not just anything will do. Some milk manufacturers include growth hormones (rBGH or rBST) to boost a cow’s ability to produce milk. This causes infections in a cow’s udders and that can end up finding its way into the milk. Also, these hormones lead to higher levels of a compound called “insulin like” being in the milk. Some people who are exposed to high levels of IGF-1 may contract breast, prostate, and colon cancers. Always check the label and make sure the product you’re buying says “rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk.”

Microwave popcorn

Perfluorooctanoic acid can live on the inside of the popcorn bag, and when you heat up a popcorn bag in the microwave this acid can vaporize and spread onto your popcorn. The compounds within perfluorooctanoic acid have been linked to liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. You don’t have to stop eating popcorn, just stop eating it in a bag! Pop natural kernels in a skillet or one of those fancy popcorn makers. That way you can add whatever seasonings you want!